This chapter points out major ways to reduce the ecological and health impacts of metal working fluids (MWFs). In the continuous quest for dry machining, only one process can offer a near-term solution for practical applications. This process uses a minimum quantity of lubrication and is referred to as "near-dry". In near-dry machining (NDM), an air-oil mixture called an aerosol is fed onto the machining zone. Compared to dry machining, NDM substantially enhances cutting performance in terms of

more »

... increasing tool life and improving the quality of the machined parts. This chapter presents a classification of NDM methods, discussing their advantages and drawbacks. Analyzing the available information on the performance of NDM, the chapter offers a physically attractive explanation of why NDM works. It considers the essential components of the whole NDM system, arguing that a 360° vision approach is the key to successful implementation of NDM. 196 V.P. Astakhov